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🟩 GreenBricks Building of the Week 🟩 5 Broadgate

Groundscraper green


Extending horizontally more than it does vertically, this groundscraper is the HQ for financial firm UBS. With robust architectural language – a perfectly formed steel object – 5 Broadgate is crafted with Swiss watch precision.


📍Location

London, EC2


🏢Building Details

  • Completed 2015

  • 700,000 sq ft., 13-storeys

  • Structural Awards 2016 – Sustainability Winner


👷🏾‍♀️Developer & Contractor


✍️Architects & Engineers


🌱Sustainability

  • BREEAM Excellent + one of the few buildings to receive an FSC Chain of Custody certificate

  • The facade is 65% solid, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world. It provides exceptional solar and thermal insulation, while still allowing for ample natural daylight.

  • ‘Prefabrication first’ approach: including roof, plant room areas, modular corridor units, chillers + switch room = reduced material waste + 175 fewer deliveries saving 17.5 tonnes of carbon

  • 99% of construction waste diverted from landfill + built from 39% recycled materials

  • One of London’s biggest array of solar thermal panels


🥦 Wellbeing

  • Worked with local businesses and residents, updating them in weekly liaison meetings: resulted in high project score of 46/50 in Considerate Constructors Scheme

  • At ground level: improved pedestrian links expressed with cutbacks, landscaping + specially commissioned public artworks

  • 4 open-plan football pitch-sized floors with cores pushed to the perimeter = maximum spatial flexibility + space for spontaneous interactions

  • Abundant amenity: including restaurant, gym, retail space, newsagent, dry cleaner + cycle storage


🎈Bonus feature

It was critical for the building to have vault-like security and protection against fire and blast – for the UBS trading floors to continue trading in any eventuality. So, each floor was designed to support its own load, protecting against progressive collapse. And a bespoke assessment using VULCAN software was used to predict steel structure behaviour when exposed to fire. Hot stuff.


🔗 Check it out https://www.makearchitects.com/projects/5-broadgate/




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